Monday, July 4, 2016

A Driftless Conservative

From Chronicles:
Each of these folk schools is flavored by the community in which it sits, but they all tend to share certain traits.  The people are not saints, but they are remarkably friendly and respectful.  They are good storytellers.  They love traditional folk music, grow their own vegetables, and eat what’s in season.  The art they teach bleeds into other arts and reflects a deeper philosophy of life that aspires to work with creation instead of against it.  They are kind and patient, but don’t have much regard for jerks.  They cannot imagine practicing their craft without passing it along to others, especially the young.  They combine diligent study and work on an individual level with a frank realization that life is impossible apart from a community.  They make money at what they do, but they don’t do it for the money.  For them, efficiency is a means and not an end—a means bound by an end that derives from something other than pure utility, rationality, fashion, or popular consensus.

And here’s the darnedest thing: They’re not all Republicans.  For that matter, I’m fairly certain that many of them would bristle at the label conservative.  Some of them are self-consciously liberal.  I’m pretty sure that the typical folk-school type listens to NPR. (Read more.)
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